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EEG frequency during spike‐wave discharges may predict treatment outcome in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsies
Author(s) -
Benjamin Oscar,
Colvin Patrick,
Kibuuka Moses,
Alarcón Gonzalo,
Richardson Mark P.,
Terry John R.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2011.03049.x
Subject(s) - electroencephalography , spike and wave , idiopathic generalized epilepsy , epilepsy , audiology , anesthesia , spike (software development) , psychology , medicine , neuroscience , management , economics
Summary We report findings concerning the relationship between electroencephalography (EEG) frequency during spike‐and‐wave discharges (SWDs) and response to treatment in 21 patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). We studied patients whose EEG contained SWDs lasting at least 4 s. Among these patients, two groups could be distinguished on the basis of a subtle difference in EEG frequency during the first 2 s of the burst. The two groups differed markedly in their clinical response to medication, with the group becoming seizure‐free during the next 1–2 years showing a spike‐wave onset frequency of >3.2 Hz, and those not seizure‐free <3.2 Hz (p = 0.0034, sensitivity 75% and specificity 92%). Given this strong effect in a relatively small group, further work is needed to clarify the predictive value of this frequency measure for clinical outcomes in absence epilepsies.